The Herd You Thought You'd Never See
by Bloodlustful
Summary: The Ice Age herd is bound for a lot of surprises. Not the least of which are quite a few blasts from the past, including one which will utterly knock your socks off! Rated "T" for violence, some blood and a few swear words.


I decided I would make a brand new, interesting, never before done kind of story, and especially since I liked the Lion King fanfic "Shenzi's Redemption" so damn much. So here it is, a male Ice Age counterpart to that story, in a way, but done in a whole new fashion and for whole new reasons, in another way. And with a whole different title, as well. To be more specific, a fic of redemption and reconciliation for Zeke, Lenny, Oscar and, most of all, Soto!

With the exception of Bonecrusher, none of the characters are mine! They all belong to Ice Age!

The Herd You Thought You'd Never See

It was a beautiful morning. And a tranquil one, as well. Diego, Manny, Ellie, Sid, Crash and Eddie were just waking up, ready to start yet another day. They were not, however, aware of the fact that this day would be full of surprises. It started off as usual, with the possums quickly causing trouble, though the others tried to ignore it, and Diego going out for his morning hunt to have his breakfast first, so everyone could eat peacefully and not need to be put off by his needs. Manny and Ellie nuzzled before eating, while Sid, Crash and Eddie were the first to dig in. But that was just breakfast. After an hour or so passed with them getting plenty of fresh air and a good look around, they noticed a rather unusual figure in the distance.

"Say, what's that?" asked Ellie. "It looks like some kind of human…" Diego replied to her. Then the figure came over and told them: "It most certainly is some kind of human! Anyone recognize me?" He looked a bit familiar to Diego, Manny and Sid, but none of the three of them could quite translate who he was, and the other three were without a clue. "I didn't think so. It's been so long a time, after all." he acknowledged. "But here, this should help. Where's the baby?"

"Where's the baby?" Diego said. "Wait, it can't be…" Sid told the others. Ellie, Crash and Eddie were incredibly confused, but Manny looked in his eyes and did not deny what he now saw. "Oh, my God…" he gasped as his jaw dropped. The boy nodded.

"ROSHAN?" they all exclaimed. "Yep, that's me! I'm a teenager now!" Roshan replied. "Although, you probably have a great deal of questions now, so I shall listen to and answer them all, especially since my father gave me permission to do this and I also have all the time in the world, too." "All right, then…" Diego panted. He was the first to recover from the shock. "First, it is great to see you again, though I know not how you managed to recognize us, and we should tell the other three here who don't know you about what happened before."

"I concur." Roshan replied, "although, it's probably best to answer what the other three in question are undoubtedly wondering. Yes, Roshan is my name, and yes, these three you're with do know me and, in fact, came together because of me." "I believe," Manny said as Sid did a big fling right at Roshan and embraced him, going: "Oh, man! It's been so long! I missed you so, so much!" He paused and Sid then realized what Roshan's face looked like and said: "Oops, sorry."

"Apology accepted, Sid." Roshan responded. Manny then went on: "Anyway, like I was saying, I believe we should take turns, you, me, Diego and Sid, in telling these others the story you brought up, which is, believe me, very true." "All right, we're all ears." Ellie nodded, and Crash and Eddie said nothing, but nodded. So the tale was told from beginning to end, and once it was over, Ellie told them: "Wow, I had no idea! And now the baby's a teenager and has come back?" "How did he find out about us, though, given the changes?" asked Eddie. "And I've got to say," Crash told Manny, "it's rich that 'Pinky' was the best name you could think of!"

"Oh, shut up!" Manny snapped, but then he turned to Roshan and informed him: "Don't mind Crash. He has a tendency to think before he speaks and bite off more than he can chew." A nod from Roshan was followed by him then saying: "By the way, how did you meet these three? Not that I don't like them, but they weren't with you the last time I saw you three." The tale was told and at the end, Roshan burst out laughing: "You used to think you were a possum, Ellie?" "Hey, I was a victim of circumstances who lost her parents as an infant and got raised by them!" Ellie protested. "Cut me some slack, will you?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry." Roshan apologized as he recovered from laughing. "So, how did you manage to find out about us and where we were?" asked Diego. "Well, when I was growing up, I soon learned of my fate and why it happened like it did. Additionally, my tribe was constantly on the move, so we'd go various places, and sometimes I'd see the bunch of you, though I'd make sure not to be noticed. Later on in life, I felt obligated to tell my father of how you, Diego, made your defection and helped save me, and my father, after acknowledging this, plus thinking long and hard about why you and the other sabers wanted to eat me to begin with, was able to forgive you and accept you were one of this herd now. I guess the reason as to why I didn't see the new bunch was due to how I'd see you at times you three were around while they stayed back home or something. In any case, my father knows all and he, along with the rest of my tribe, allowed that I may visit you when the time is suitable. We found out where you were now, and it was a place that was close by to our latest stop, so it wouldn't be a problem."

"Thank you for explaining this to us. We are glad to hear every bit of it." Manny told him afterwards. "Especially me." Diego told him. "Quite good to know, all of it. What's ironic about all this, though, is…" He paused and put his head to the side. The others didn't quite get it, but Roshan knew immediately why he'd stopped and turned his head. "If it's hard for you to say, I can just tell them. You don't have to." he offered. "No. I appreciate your kindness, but I should tell them myself." Diego responded.

"What? What's ironic about this, Diego? What's troubling you?" asked Sid. "It's that in spite of what he was in the end, Soto, my brother, who's now dead and wanted Roshan as a baby along with me and the other three sabers, Oscar, Lenny and Zeke, wasn't always that way. He was up until the death of half our pack, which is why he and the rest of us snapped and wanted to eat him back then, a good leader and a capable one. And he loved me like the younger brother to him I was, and I looked up to him like my older brother, which of course he was. That, and even though we started being hostile towards each other after the death of half our pack, all three of the other sabers who lived were friends to me and vice versa. Our insanity and being hellbent on making Roshan's father pay for killing half our pack got us disbanded and Soto killed, and while I do my best not to think about it…I nevertheless sometimes get bit by the fact I betrayed all my pack. Sure, I did it for Manny here, and couldn't help that, but I still miss my brother and…" He stopped now. Any more words and he would shed a tear. And Diego was too determined to keep his status as the toughest member of the group to even allow a single tear to leave one green eye.

Everyone was silent for a bit, and when Manny broke it, he told Diego: "I understand and now so do the rest of us." "You did the right thing. Even as I know why you, Soto and the rest all wanted me, and even as I am sorry it had to turn out so ironic, tragic and complicated, I can fully assure you like the rest of us can you did the right thing." Roshan assured Diego. Ellie then said: "We understand it's a tight spot." "But do your best not to let it get to you, claw buddy." Sid told Diego. Diego nodded and did his best to ignore the ache of the memory of his brother, who was, as shown before, believed to have died after those icicles fell on him.

"My," Crash remarked, unable to stop himself. "I had no idea sabers had feelings, let alone could feel any kind of security and love…" Diego got mad and pounced on Crash, very swiftly pinning him to the ground with his paw. "Take that back right now, Crash!" he snarled in a tone of voice that demanded no argument. "Would you like it if Eddie was killed and I made a glib remark about it?" Eddie gulped. "All right, already!" Crash cried out. "I get the picture! I'm sorry, Diego! I should've stopped myself before making a remark like that! I admit it!"

Diego lifted his paw and told Crash: "Do it again, and I will much meaner than this." He watched as Crash nodded and rejoined Eddie. Eddie asked: "You don't think he meant…" "No." Ellie told him. "It was a hypothetical example." "Phew." Eddie sighed. Then Manny asked to Roshan: "So, to go to a whole new subject now that this one's been sorted out, we were just on a stroll to have a bit of exploration. Would you like to join us?" "Sure, why not?" Roshan asked. "I think it would be great fun to join up with my previous herd once more, even if for a short time."

So he did, and they walked along to have some fun, though they'd keep in mind where their cave had been, plus which area nearby it Roshan's tribe was at. And Diego did his best not to think of the aforementioned Soto, who all thought was long deceased now, or anything else of his previous life. They enjoyed themselves going from place to place, and would soon meet up with Roshan's tribe later on and tie up any and all loose ends that were to be tied up.

Funny thing was, Soto was THOUGHT to be dead. He was not dead in reality. You see, the icicles which hit him did injure him badly, but they did not quite kill him. As a matter of fact, he was unconscious for a while due to the shock and damage. But he eventually regained all his consciousness, managed to pull out the icicles that hit him(albeit slowly and painfully)and find a place to hide so that he could recover. Further, after he'd recovered, he was by chance, but still a lucky thing for him, found by the other three sabers from his pack aside from the defecting Diego just then. That is to say, Oscar, Lenny and Zeke.

After they found him, everyone told his story of what had happened since the attempt to take Manny down and get Roshan as a baby gone awry, and right up to the here and now. They then realized what must have happened at this point in the case of Diego and his new herd, and realized in the process that the only way to remotely fix the mess that circumstances made was to do whatever they could, if possible, to redeem themselves in every respect. So after days of very meticulous planning, organizing and preparing, they began their agenda. Soto was the leader like he'd always been, of course, and controlled things.

Back to the regular Ice Age herd, here's how things were currently going. They were, after a few days of varied things going on, now yet again on a fun exploration trip right now, with Roshan having joined them once more, though Sid was having a hard time keeping up for two reasons. To be exact, here's what they were. He was both slower and clumsier than the others anyway, and at the same time was constantly crashing into things or having things fall on him. It was rather a funny thing for the others, with Crash even commenting: "Damn, Sid, are you a magnet for trouble or what?" And Eddie added: "It's almost like you actually LIKE having this happen to you and thus have bad luck hit you on purpose!" "Knock that off! I've been in this herd a lot longer than you!" Sid said.

Suddenly, a powerful flood came the way of the herd, and Manny exclaimed: "Dear God! Where did that flood come from?" "I don't know where the hell it came from, but I do know none of us could withstand it!" As it turned out, the flood came from a part of a stone wall about a nearby waterfall which had been dislodged after a stampede that had happened next to it, but it would not get far. Why? Because suddenly a rock was pushed down. A huge one. Which easily filled the gap and restored the flow of the waterfall to normal, plus made it so the flood merely washed across the ground and caused the group to get their feet went. "Whoa, that was too close for comfort! But somehow, it's stopped now, and someone saved our lives!" Ellie commented. "Yeah, clearly, someone's on our side, but who?" asked Roshan. Everyone looked around, but not a one of them could see anything. "Well, it can't be ghosts or spirits or anything like that!" a comment from Sid consisted of. "No shit, sloth." Diego replied. "But what can it be?"

A few more days passed from here, and each one was more unusual than the one before. One way or the other, if food was suddenly direly needed but could not be found, it would be seen in an unexpected spot. If the lives of the herd, with or without Roshan, were in danger for one reason or another, something or other would happen to save their lives. And many other things along these lines, but it invariably resulted in the herd being saved or aided when they most needed it. Soon enough, Roshan's tribe would hear of this, and they would be just as puzzled as the herd was.

Soon enough, after six more days passed, the Ice Age herd decided they'd had enough of this confusion, though they were grateful for how it was always helpful and/or life saving for all of them, and would have a discussion in a distant, private area of what the hell could possibly be going on. After Roshan was given permission to do so with them by his father, and asked to tell his tribe what he found out afterwards, he agreed to and joined with his animal pals. As soon as they were in the area chosen to have their talk, they began, but none of them knew this was the area where all the questions and confusions would be answered in full.

"All right, first thing's first." Manny told the others. "We all know what this is about, so I'll get to the main point about it. For almost the past two damn weeks, we've been having these mysterious blessings bestowed upon us, and they always seemed to happen exactly when they should have. Sure, it's great we got them, especially since some of them saved our lives, but I'm sure you're all still just as wanting to know of how we kept getting them as I am myself." "Most assuredly." Roshan told him. "Especially when one considers that we would get them even while they were various gaps of time in between them, and things seemed normal otherwise." "Which means it can't be any kind of coincidence." Diego stated. "Someone is definitely watching us, and, for whatever reason, aiding us in various ways at various times."

Suddenly, they heard a voice which was very familiar to Diego, Manny and Sid, and partially familiar to Roshan, but not at all familiar to Ellie and the possums. "Actually, someone and three others. And they're about to show themselves now." "Hey, where have I heard that voice before?" Sid asked. "Wait…that voice is…no…" Diego stammered. "That's impossible." "Oh, I assure you it is not!" the voice stated, and then the one it belonged to came right on out, in full saber form. Three other sabers, who Diego recognized as immediately as the first one, came out to flank him. One on his right, and two others on his left. The whole group gaped in shock.

"Soto?" exclaimed Diego, Manny and Sid in unison. "That's my name." Soto replied. "And yes, you are seeing Oscar, Lenny and Zeke! Your eyes deceive you not." "Wait a second, I think I remember…this is that former leader and older brother of yours you and Roshan told us about, isn't it, Diego?" asked Ellie. "And your previous packmates?" Crash asked him. "Yes!" nodded Diego. "And for some crazy reason, they're showing themselves directly to us!" "They look pretty damn proud, too!" Eddie pointed out. "Is there something we don't know?" asked Sid. "And why'd they just openly proclaim they were the reason for our mystery blessings?"

"Because the last time we saw the lot of you, you four tried to kill us!" Manny added. "And speaking of that, I had thought you were dead, Soto!" "So did these three." Soto replied as he motioned his head towards the others. "Though I found out later, since I had my head stuck and had to struggle with all my might to get free." Zeke added. "Thanks, sloth!" "Hey, watch the sarcasm!" Sid snapped. "You're on thin enough ice as it is!" "Still, I think there's more to this than meets the eye, and before snapping and going nuts, Soto was quite the good leader, and we sabers actually LIKED one another." Diego spoke. "Just like I told you before." "It's true!" Oscar stated. "Half our pack dying ruined us all!"

Roshan, in the meantime, had been considering all the facts. He had not spoken once, but now he finally did. "All right, sabers…" Roshan told them. "Though you did seek my death back when I was a baby, you nevertheless, as Diego here told me, didn't do it without a reason, plus it goes without saying not a one of you, especially you, Soto…" He pointed to the lead saber and a second later went on: "…would be showing yourselves right before us so confidently if there was not something backing you up of some sort. It took me some time to decide how to do this, but I've finally found the right way, though it was no easy task."

"We pretty much feel the same way as he does, so we're all ears." Ellie, who realized what he meant along with the others, added. "If you need a place to start, you can begin by answering this question." Manny informed them. "Much like Sid asked before, in a rare instance of asking a good, serious question." Sid told him: "Hey, I resent that sugar-coated insult!" But Manny ignored him and asked them: "Does this have anything to do with all those things in the past two weeks, practically, that one way or the other helped us go on, survive, eat when we needed to or find the right places?" "Because the frequency with which it was happening, and like such clockwork, too, sure raises suspicion!" Crash snapped. "So, does it have anything to do with any of it, sabers?" asked Eddie right after his brother.

"Well, DUH." Oscar replied. "Who the hell do you think it was who kept leaving those clues, resources and things of food for you, plus pulled the acts which saved your lives, like the flood stopping thing?" Zeke added on. "Okay…" Manny began. He suddenly picked Soto up with his trunk, while Ellie did the same to Oscar. Diego pinned Zeke down and Roshan pointed his spear, which he'd brought along just in case he'd need it before joining the meeting, at Lenny's throat, though not on it. "You four have a universe of explaining to do!" Manny said immediately thereafter. "Whoa!" Lenny exclaimed. "Uh, we'll do it, all right, but how come they're the ones who get picked up and pinned down, but I'm the one who gets the spear pointed at his throat?"

"Not like any of us could lift you, is it now?" Crash cackled. "Crash!" Ellie scolded. "It was just a joke!" Crash protested. But now the sabers began explaining themselves, starting with Soto, naturally. They told everything, from when they reunited as a pack, to when they would, if they weren't doing other heroic deeds in various places, constantly keeping track of where the herd was and whether or not they needed help, and, in one way or another, made sure they got it. As soon as they'd told the end of this, including how outside of this herd, all the ones they'd lent a helping paw for were new to them and how they'd known where the Ice Age herd would show up and how they would greet them and reveal everything, the herd fully understood, though all took a while to be able to speak again.

When they finally could, Manny told them: "I am quite grateful, as are these others, but we can't help but wonder." "Wonder what?" asked Zeke. "What exactly was it which made it so you decided to go on this redemption crusade, and, when you felt it was sufficiently completed like you obviously have now, reveal everything to us?" Ellie asked. "Several things." Soto told them. "Regaining our sanity. Realizing that our pack would never be what it once was, and that our best bet now was to fix ourselves and hopefully reunite with Diego, and, since the only way to do that would be to join this herd redeemed, do so as the next four 'dark heroes' of the herd to go with him." "As well as to atone for what we saw as revenge for the greater good, but quickly went awry due to circumstances, confusion and many things unknown." Oscar put in. "We're all beyond our former selves returning, but we can still make the best of it." Lenny told them. "That is, if you'll allow us." Soto added. "If not, we'll just stay as a pack of four and find some place in the areas where we're only known for our recent dark hero deeds by the ones living there to live and reside in." "So what's it going to be, now that you all know the truth about everything?" put in Zeke. "Especially since this was also about reconciliation and repentance, and righting all of our wrongs as much as we could?"

The herd considered these facts. Especially since these four sabers were a far cry from the versions of themselves Manny and Sid had previously known. And an equal departure from how they'd been during the time they, and, for most of it all, Diego, had been wracked with madness due to wanting revenge for their dead packmates. And Ellie, Crash, Roshan and Eddie had to be honest with themselves, it was amazing what they were now, and how beautifully they'd said all they had. Not to mention how, for the first time, everyone here who wasn't Diego actually felt for them, and Diego was secretly hoping they could join and he could be reunited with his pack, as they'd be the five sabers and dark heroes of the group, instead of Diego being alone in that sense. After a bit of it, Soto, Oscar, Lenny and Zeke waiting patiently, an answer was given.

"Sabers, we've thought about this long and hard, and made our decision." Manny said. "I will speak for all of us when I say this." They listened intently, looking as if they perked up. "In spite of how you were previously, that was when madness consumed you, and the reason for it, I suppose, was understandable. Especially since I am no stranger to family being killed myself, as before I met Ellie here, my original family was killed by the same humans who killed half your pack." The four sabers were alarmed, but Ellie gave a signal to them not to be alarmed, that they knew they were sorry from the looks on their faces and to let Manny keep speaking. So they all relaxed and Manny talked on.

"Anyhow, with all you did being the case, and with the reason it was driving you, plus how you were perfectly decent and reasonable prior to the death of your packs, and planned so well, I might add, we have decided you deserve to be reconciled with us and reunited with your packmate, and in your case, Soto, brother, Diego here." "That, and it was rather unfair that your revenge, however grateful I am I was rescued and survived, had to be twisted so it would be done in the wrong way even if it did succeed, and would not succeed anyway due to circumstances." said Roshan. "Sure, I wouldn't want things to be different for obvious reasons, but I still am all too aware of the unfairness for you here, but now it's time for it to be compensated for."

"Welcome to the herd, you four." Ellie told them. "Consider your redemption officially complete, as well as your journey." Manny added on. Diego could not hold in his impulses any longer, though he'd done so maturely and strong willed-like up till now, and done very well controlling himself. But even one as mature, tough, smart and done to Earth had his limits, and this was one thing that pushed him to them. He leapt at Soto and flung himself around his older brother, embracing him while Soto did as well. "Welcome back, brother." Diego said softly. "I wish there were words to describe how thankful I am you're not dead, and we're finally to be reunited and reconciled for good. I'm so sorry I betrayed you and the others…"

"Apology accepted, and I'm sorry my insanity made all that happened happen." Soto said to him equally softly. "Apology more than accepted." Diego replied, and they embraced for very long until they finally let go of each other and the sabers joined, officially part of the herd now. Roshan commented: "I have to say, you four, it will be a novelty." "You know," Sid told them, "us being on the same side instead of trying to destroy one another." "Hey, I'm not inclined to disagree." Zeke said. "And I'm betting none of my packmates are, either. Especially Soto here." "Although, if you're going to be doing the loner thing Diego usually does, that's all right. We will all understand." Ellie pointed out. "We are, but also like Diego, we will always be there when need be or when we choose to." Soto nodded. "It's good to have you back, brother." Diego told Soto. "And it's good to be back." Soto spoke for himself and his four packmates.

After Diego also apologized to the other three and vice versa, and the other three would apologize to the rest of them, Roshan suddenly came to a realization. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed. "What is it, Roshan?" asked Sid. "I just remembered!" Roshan replied to them. "I joined with you guys to have the meeting we had prior to the sabers showing themselves thanks to my father and the rest of my tribe granting me permission to do so!" He turned to the sabers and told them: "You guys may have redeemed yourselves and become dark heroes rather than tragic villains, plus part of this herd now, BUT NONE OF MY TRIBE KNOWS THAT! I have to go and tell them now, before misunderstanding or freak chance ruins everything! I'm sorry for the sudden need to take off! I will return as soon as I can!" Everyone realized what he said, and nodded. He ran off to get back with his tribe and let them know what had happened as fast as his legs could carry him. What happened, in the meantime, back with the animals in the new herd/pack?

Well, to start off with, Manny told the four non-Diego sabers: "One thing of note I did not mention yet, and am sorry about neglecting to mention, though." "Yes?" they all asked in unison. "While you have well earned your new status, we still will need time to adjust, much like you will, given our previous encounter. So we trust you, and know you were sincere in doing this whole thing, but nevertheless, we will have to keep an eye on you for just a bit. Eventually, it will end, and it's only because of the aforementioned need to adjust to things. So don't feel at all insecure about your new status during the short period of time it happens." They nodded to show they understood, and were amazed that this was easier for them than they expected it to be.

So now the herd/pack would wait for Roshan and/or his tribe, depending on how his telling them what he would went, and see what would happen next from there. Or at least it seemed that way. Because no sooner did they start to wait than did a whole new danger appear. And in such an abrupt, sudden way, too, as it charged right towards them. "Huh?" they saw as they all saw it coming. It was a gigantic ground sloth who for some reason was coming at them. He'd caught them unawares, too, which was advantageous for him. "Greetings, the bunch of you assholes!" the giant ground sloth told them. "I am Bonecrusher, and I am here for one very, very simple reason…I HATE SABERS! And I mean to see them all dead! Unlike the others who were aware of these four, I did not see them as heroes any more than I would any other sabers! And it also means that, now that I see there's a fifth one, that it looks like I'll be destroying more than I thought I would at first, even if only slightly! If he's related to these four, so more the better!"

He then told his rationalizations to the whole lot of them, sabers or otherwise. "You see," he explained, "it's often thought that sabers not only kill what they need to survive and no more, plus that it's part of the circle of life and the like, but that they are still capable of love and more than just carnivores or killers. And that they have feelings. First off, circle of life my ass. Sabers are evil just for being themselves and don't have feelings at all. They use needs for food as an excuse to kill, and they are limited to being no more than mindless monsters and killer carnivore abominations. That, and the day any saber is capable of love is the day lava turns cold. Needless to say, I won't be satisfied until they are extinct, and I will start with these five!"

He used his great strength to smack Oscar, Lenny and Zeke into unconscious states, and then grabbed Diego by the right front leg and slammed him against the ground, knocking him out immediately. And despite his size, he was incredibly and surprisingly fast, so the mammoths, the sloth and the possum had no time to react. Right after doing this, he took a hold of Soto and did a powerful tossing of him into a hard, sharp, large boulder. Soto hit hard and almost passed out, it being nothing short of a painful landing. Then Bonecrusher tore down some trees. Big, thick and heavy trees. He made them fall on Sid, Manny, Ellie, Eddie and Crash, and also punched a stone wall to make much rock fall on them. They were not killed, but it was enough to make it so even the two mammoths were utterly stuck and helpless under the pile.

"All right, that's over and done with!" Bonecrusher gloated. "Now, who to kill first? Ah, the only one still conscious! After all, I'd get screams out of only him, and I want screams, and then the other four will wake up, be broken by his death and I can then do just as bad a killing to them! And really, I contained my alarm that sabers would be with two possums, two mammoths and a sloth up till now, since I was too focused on how I'd smelled and found five sabers, but now I just plain can't do it anymore! What kind of a fucked up herd is that? At least it will not exist anymore soon enough even if the herbivores in it I just trapped DO survive!"

So Bonecrusher set his sights on Soto, who was currently writhing in pain and also badly bruised, and struggling to get up, or at least stay conscious and not pass out. Still, it was all but impossible for him to do. And it was almost as painful as what had put him in this position in the first place. Worse yet, it was hard for him to think straight or see things straight, but he soon was able to and realized what had happened to him, and remembered why that was. Neither of which did anything to comfort him at all, for the very obvious reasons.

Soto then got lost in thought. "No…I can't believe it's going to end this way…" He let out a gasp of breath before puking out some blood. "First, I'm seen as 'evil' for meaning to get revenge on the one who killed half of our pack, then circumstances make it so me and my pack get split up and robbed of our revenge, and I'm nearly killed by icicle impalement. Then I am able to redeem myself, along with the others, through no small feat, but I won't be alive to know life with my new herd/pack, plus my brother, nor enjoy a full pack again, for the fact that some overgrown maniac sloth wants to kill off any sabers that he can, and thus I will truly die for real this time thanks to his having been around and sniffed out by him. And just when all was settled and gotten straight, plus paved the way for, no less…"

"This is the wrap-up, revolting saber piece of trash!" called out Bonecrusher as he went right towards Soto. "Unfair, dammit. Unfair." Soto continued to think to himself as he saw that huge giant of a sloth coming towards him, unmistakably intending to finish him off now. Bonecrusher then decided, however, that he would allow himself some quality gloating time before finally killing Soto off. "I must say, it's hilarious the way I've so easily found a perfect way to keep up with my saber killing spree, not to mention how I was able to catch you and the others by surprise so perfectly so that all would play into my favor. You're all now utterly in my power, and it's just a matter of whether I decide to make your deaths quick and easy or slow and painful! In your case, I believe I will do the latter! Of course, should I play my cards right after I kill off all of you sabers, wherever you exist, I'll likely be praised as a hero, while you'll all get eternal scorn! Something I truly look forward to, and intend to keep the truth of buried! Such unimaginable glory and such a golden future awaits me in so many ways!"

Finally, he reached Soto, and then took a hold of him. He then asked: "So tell me now, pussycat, which limb do you want ripped off first? And in what order would you like me to tear apart the rest of you? Or perhaps you'd prefer to be surprised, yes?" Before he could make but one move, though, he suddenly felt rocks pelting him from behind as well as spears being tossed at him! He turned as he dropped Soto to see it was Manny, Ellie, Sid, Crash, Eddie…and Roshan plus the rest of his tribe! "What? NO!" he shouted. "This cannot be! My crusade to kill all sabers stops before it even starts? Stay back! None of you have any business in this! And how did you lot get free of my burying you alive?" He turned to the mammoths, the possums and Sid as he asked this. "It was only sufficient to hold us for a time, and by the time we got free, Roshan had come with his tribe already!"

"I told them everything, and they accepted the truth!" Roshan informed them. "And now we have found the ones you buried, who told us everything!" "You're going down, Bonecrusher! And you're staying down!" Ellie trumpeted. Bonecrusher felt several rocks and spears hit him on and on, and Crash cried out: "Give it up, Bonecrusher! Even a powerhouse like you can't take on the whole lot of us!" "NEVER!" Bonecrusher bellowed as he ran off. "Though you are all fully against me, I will never surrender! EVER!" He then leapt down into a cave and disappeared into it. When once he was out of sight, his attackers stopped their projectile throwing.

"All right, it's over!" Runar told the others in his tribe. "That it is!" Manny told them. "It is time to tend to the injured sabers." "And, when they recover," added Runar, "for me and my tribe to have a few words with them on a crucial matter." "Yes, of course." Ellie said to him. "It looks like we're going to have to gather them up and bring them to our cave first, though. Only Soto is conscious, and even he is pretty badly injured." So the mammoths gathered up the out cold, badly injured sabers, or in Soto's case, just badly injured, and everyone proceeded to the cave. Once the sabers woke to be conscious like Soto was, and once they were treated to recover, they were told everything that happened.

"Well, we can't thank you enough." Diego told the others. "You saved our lives from that giant psycho sloth." Oscar added. "Wonder where he went, just in case we need to keep watch for him?" asked Zeke. "Ah, don't bother thinking on that." Manny replied. "We drove him off real damn well, so we doubt he's going to try this sort of stunt again." "Ah, good to know. Our thanks again." Soto stated. "By the way, Runar. You were telling us there was something which you meant to talk of with me, Oscar, Lenny and Zeke, were you not?" "Yes, there was." Runar responded. "Me, as well as the rest of my tribe, my son Roshan included. Are you recovered enough so you could be able to talk of such a matter?" "We think so." Soto replied. "I'm feeling just healed enough to do that." "Ditto." Oscar, Lenny and Zeke said in unison.

The treatment they'd gotten was clearly working, and so it was decided it was time. But just as Diego said: "Since I am a saber and was part of all this as well, I think it's only proper I join this talk." "No, Diego, you've already had your name cleared and your loose ends tied up." a tribesman told him. "It is only these four we must speak with." Runar added. "All right." Diego replied, and the humans nodded as they stood up along with Soto, Oscar, Lenny and Zeke. All of everyone else watched the discussion.

"As you know, my wiping out half your pack was what initially made you want my son for your next meal." Runar told them. "Circumstances made things an entirely different matter, not the least of which was the loss of my wife and the disbanding of what remained of your pack. Ironically enough, you not only did your best to make sure to fix what you could of yourselves, you did so in a way that showed your sincerity as well as your regaining of what you could of what you clearly once were before your pack's death." The sabers nodded to acknowledge this.

"With this being the case," began a tribesman, "as well as the fact that you helped Roshan along with the Ice Age herd around us over there, it came as no surprise Roshan would tell us of the irony that was your reform and all you did." "We thought about this for some time, mind you, and we had to have a lot of debate and discussion after my son told us of this." Runar spoke to them. "That, and the fact I was initially appalled by the mere thought of any of you being near him, or even alive and rejoined, for that matter." "That, however, changed soon enough," another tribesman told them, "and we came to realize what drove you before, what made you right your wrongs later and what made you into the new members of the herd you are now."

"The fact that we helped you against Bonecrusher?" asked Runar. "It was more than just an understanding of that you were much different than when we last saw you. It was also a full acknowledgement of the fact it was our killing of half your pack which derailed you like it did. As an acknowledgement of that and how you were now helping our son and his friends, instead of trying to kill them, we helped you against that giant ground sloth alongside the mammoths, the sloth and the possums, who thankfully got freed from those piles on them just then."

"We thank you, and we hope you will forgive us for all our rampage of craze caused when it happened." Soto told him. "We thank you, of course, for all you helped us against the giant sloth, and all the understanding and leeway you are giving us now, plus everything in between." "Of course we will forgive you, and we thank you for helping our son like you did, in contrast to what you initially planned, though not without a reason, I admit." Runar replied. "Will you, likewise, forgive us for what our killing of half your pack caused?" "Yes, we will." Soto responded. "I speak for all four of us when I say this, by the way."

"That is good to know." Roshan informed them. "Especially since," Runar stated, "as of this moment, thanks to both your successful redemption and all knowledge gained, plus setting straight of the facts, you are cleared of all your past misdeeds committed while insane, and I now declare you officially part of the newly crafted herd behind you and in front of me and my tribe." Soto, Oscar, Lenny and Zeke bowed down briefly, and said in unison: "Our appreciation, Runar. Never again." Runar, Roshan and the rest of the tribe knew all too well that the "never again" out of their mouths meant there would never again be conflict between the herd or the tribe. They did a firm nod, and the discussion was over. The sabers and the humans were officially reconciled.

"Way to go!" the possums shouted in unison to the other four sabers, and Diego walked on over to his brother. "Welcome back, brother." he said as they nuzzled. And the rest of the herd looked on with pride. With the exception of Sid, who shouted: "Hey, this calls for a big celebration, everyone! Come on, let's get down!" Everyone chuckled and rolled their eyes as Sid made a fool out of himself being the only one dancing around like a maniac and singing all kinds of random verses to try and create a party. "You'll get used to it, guys. Believe me." Diego told Soto, Oscar, Lenny and Zeke. They just nodded and looked forward to their new life that they'd worked so long and hard to earn, and now would finally be getting. All was right with everything once more, and it would never be anything different from that again.

THE END

So, what did you think of this story which presented the four non-Diego sabers in a much more positive light? Please rate, comment and review, people!


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